Connecting your community
Autumn 2014
Meet your Community Officers Celebrating success POST OFFICE
Improving customer service
Inside this edition of 3
Talk...listen, hear, act!
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Meet your Community Officers
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Awards, achievements, celebrations
8
An Interview with your Service Improvement Panel
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Help to Buy
12
Keeping our standards high
14
Tavistock Tea party
16
Governance changes
19
Green skills in Bedford
POST OFFICE
Hello from the editorial team We really hope you like the new look bpha talk. We plan on producing talk twice a year, with an electronic version to email out in between times. It’s one of a number of things bpha has been doing to improve the way we tell you about things. Earlier this year we launched a new look website, we will be doing more in the coming months. We are on the lookout for volunteers to help gather news and interesting stories about what’s going on where you live. If you know of an upcoming event, a community project or group looking for new members, or an unsung hero who you think makes a difference, we’d like to hear about it. Please email us at: communications@bpha.org.uk. In the meantime, please enjoy this first edition of talk magazine.
Talk … listen, hear, act! When I interviewed for the post of bpha CEO back in April this year, I made it very clear that the organisation’s customers have to be our priority. For me this means being clear about our responsibilities as a social landlord and then using our resources as efficiently as we can to deliver … IN FULL. For me, customers have to be understood, listened to and respected, which will make a tenancy a proper two way relationship with responsibilities on both sides rather than merely a ‘cold’ contract. talk, our new customer magazine, is designed to help in this process. Through talk we want to connect with customers and communities, share success stories as well as the details of improvements that are being implemented and openly build a better understanding between bpha and our customers. In this issue we have celebrated the work of our volunteers, passed on some help and advice about looking after your home and also how to get onto the property ladder.
We have also detailed some ways that you might want to get more involved in your communities and, most importantly, we are also asking for your feedback about us and how we communicate with you. So whilst talk, like me, is new to the organisation, we have the same purpose. We want to improve communication by listening and then acting on what we hear over time, to keep improving the services we deliver. I want bpha to be seen as an excellent social landlord. I believe it is a good organisation currently, but by working together, I want to make it better for all of us. We are here to provide and look after affordable homes, ensure that our customers get very good service from their ‘landlord’, to help build communities and, whenever possible, help people get on with their lives.
That’s bpha and me, so what do you think? Best wishes Kevin Chief Executive Officer
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Meet your Community Officers Hello from Linda, Jim, Kim and Carly
How the Community Officers can help you:
As Community Officers, we work with bpha residents to improve their neighbourhoods. Between us, we have over 25 years’ experience in community development and we want to help you to create thriving, safe and attractive communities that you feel proud to live in.
If you need support to set up a communityled initiative, we’re here to help. This could be anything from say, creating a communal garden to organising a litter pick.
We bring people together to look at the issues that are important to them and their communities, get involved, feel valued and make a difference.
Support packages are available, which can include a start-up grant, so if you’ve got an idea for your community we’d love to hear from you. Our email address is:
communityofficer@bpha.org.uk
POST OFFICE
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Before
After
Here’s an example of how we can help… Earlier this year residents of Milburn Road, Bedford, contacted us about a graffitied wall in a play area that was bringing the community down. Working with Bedford Borough Council and 21 young people, we transformed the wall into a colourful work of art – check out the before and after photos! Our thanks go to Waitrose for keeping the budding artists fed and watered throughout the day. We aimed to brighten up the area and speaking to local residents, we’ve definitely achieved that!
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Volunteer awards bpha hosted an evening of celebration, with over 100 people in attendance to recognise the important role their volunteers and Community Champions play. In the past year alone bpha volunteers have contributed an amazing 2463 hours to making a difference in local communities in the area.
Long Service Award winners: Clive Arnold, Mauricette Truba, Karen Cope, Abraham O’Connor, Dot Usher, John Garside.
The highlight of the evening was the award ceremony, with bpha’s new CEO Kevin Bolt and Interim Chair of the Board Fiona Gregory presenting a number of awards to some truly inspirational groups and deserving individuals:
Community Champions: • Joan Lovell, John Hammond, Wixams Neighbourhood Watch • Oakridge Park Residents Association • Love’s Farm Community Association St Neots
Sincere thanks to all the volunteers for helping to make our communities better.
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Louise & Lorraine scoop wins at Adult Learners’ Week Awards Louise Roberts and Lorraine Castle, both bpha residents, celebrated wins at the Adult Learners’ Week award ceremony at Shuttleworth College. Louise won the Achiever of the Year Award and Lorraine won the Family Learning Award. Well done Louise and Lorraine!
The two winners have been supported by bpha’s Financial Inclusion team. Peter Rayner, who nominated Louise commented, “Louise developed confidence and skills that enabled her to move into self employment and then gain a permanent job”. Lorraine, nominated by Janet Cook, took the training opportunities offered by bpha and used them to not only improve her own skills, but also the skills of her son Dylan.
Congratulations to the Wixams Neighbourhood Watch group for winning the National Neighbourhood Watch Community Cohesion Award 2014. Set up in 2009, led by Alan Pibworth, and with nearly 30 committed and enthusiastic street co-ordinators, Wixams Neighbourhood Watch is helping to promote a safer community and continues to attract new members. If you would like to help work towards achieving a low crime community in your area through Neighbourhood Watch, please ring your Community Officer on: 0330 100 0272.
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An interview
with your Service Improvement Panel Your Service Improvement Panel, SIP for short, is the group that enables your views, and those of fellow residents to be heard by bpha. Formerly known as the Residents and Scrutiny Improvement group, members are all residents who want to make bpha’s services better for all. A few members of SIP – Judith, Sylvia, Usha and Mel took some time out of their busy days to have a chat with our reporter Kate and tell us a bit more about what they do…
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So what made you want to join SIP?
And how about your biggest challenge?
Usha: With over 15 years experience of servicing the social housing sector, I thought I could give back to the community.
Judith: Getting bpha customers to talk to us and to understand that we are not part of
Judith: I was on the ‘Progress Magazine’ panel. The decision to be part of the SIP was an easy one.
Sylvia: Keeping quiet in meetings, as I do tend
Mel: I felt there was an ‘us and them’ situation that I wanted to improve for all tenants.
Tell us why your work is so important and what kind of support you offer? Usha: We examine and challenge bpha’s performance, and make suggestions on how they can make improvements. Sylvia: We are speaking on behalf of the residents, helping bpha to improve their services. Mel: SIP is the residents’ champion. We operate as a ‘critical friend’ to bpha.
bpha but are here to help them.
to talk a lot (!)
Can you give an example of when your work has made a difference? Judith: Our input into problems being experienced with NIBE Boilers led to new procedures being put in place, for NIBE and for other areas of the business, ensuring that a NIBE situation can never occur again. Sylvia: Creation of a Complaints Team to ensure that all complaints go to one department. Also Housing Officers have been given tablets to work with so they are able to spend less time in the office and spend more time with residents.
What have been your best moments so far? Usha: I have enjoyed the training, meeting new people, and face to face conversations with Kevin Bolt tops it all. Sylvia: Being involved with reviews has been one of the best moments for me as we learn so much from them. Training is also another best moment as we are learning all the time.
Continued
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Continued - An interview with your Service Improvement Panel
How do you juggle your role in SIP with home life and other interests?
Have you learned anything new since you joined the panel?
Sylvia: I manage to do everything I need with SIP and home life - there are times when I feel stretched but I enjoy SIP, so it’s worth it.
Sylvia: I have learned that I can do something to help residents and improve the way that bpha works, working as a team, and using the training we are given.
Mel: Even when deep in a review, I still have plenty of time to myself.
Judith: Before I joined the panel my expertise regarding social housing was limited to my own experience, and this has now expanded a great deal. Mel: Training and carrying out reviews has made me more confident and improved my outlook on life, I feel useful again.
You too can have an impact on the services enjoyed by all residents; by becoming a member of the SIP team yourself or even setting up your own tenant panel… If you are interested in joining SIP please email Elaine Warwick, Resident Engagement and Scrutiny Officer, elaine.warwick@bpha.org.uk As a SIP member you will receive full training and support, and a warm welcome from the team. If you would like information on how you can play more of an active role in your neighbourhood, take a look at the new ‘Tenants leading change’ booklet at http://www.gov.uk This useful guide talks you through setting up a tenant panel and similar schemes that you could get involved in.
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bpha can help you to buy bpha are proud to announce that we have recently been appointed the new Help to Buy Agent for the East and South East. We will deliver a range of Help to Buy schemes for the Government, designed to make buying a home more affordable. As a Help to Buy Agent we will be able to help people into home ownership across the 11 counties of Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent. The scheme will help many thousands of people who previously would not have considered home ownership as a viable option. Since we became the Help to Buy Agent on 1 April, we have helped over 1,900 customers get on the road to home ownership. If you are interested in finding out more about the Help to Buy options bpha have to offer, please visit:
www.helptobuyese.org.uk or call 03333 214044 11
Keeping our standards high The bpha Property Service Team is dedicated to providing you with high standards of customer service when it comes to responding to your repair requests; ensuring your home is safe, comfortable and energy efficient.
Repairs – what are my responsibilities? We want you to have a home you can be proud of and are committed to doing our part to fix and help maintain your home.
There’s a full list of what we fix on our website at www.bpha.org.uk/repairs-and-maintenance/ourresponsibilities-and-yours
You have a part to play in this as well and we thought it might be helpful to explain what things bpha fix, which things you need to take care of yourself and how to contact us when there is something we need to repair.
You can report repairs online via our website www. bpha.org.uk or by calling us on
0330 100 0272.
We take care of the structure of your home, that’s things like missing or damaged roof tiles, leaky or broken guttering and pipes, electrical and heating problems. We also take care of any communal areas.
News in brief:
If you’re a Shared Owner slightly different rules apply and you will be responsible for all repairs unless your home is covered by a New Build Defect guarantee.
for an appointment now. Stay warm and toasty this winter.
All of our customers are responsible for minor, day-to-day repairs. Things like blocked sinks and toilets. If you need a new plug for the bath for instance, that’s something you need to fix yourself. If you have children and they accidentally put a ball through a window and break the glass that would be your responsibility too. We only fix windows where there is an issue with the frame.
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• If your boiler is due for a service get it sorted now before Winter hits contact TSG on:
0800 111 4044
• Your bpha home has a modern smoke alarm but you still need to test it on a regular basis. • If it doesn’t work, is damaged, or is beeping (indicating a fault or low battery), please inform bpha immediately on:
0330 100 0272
Just a sample of what we took care of last financial year.
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The sights and sounds of the 1940’s came to life again as residents of our Tavistock Court Extra Care scheme in Bedford enjoyed a Forties themed tea party which aimed to help bring back memories of residents’ younger years. Organised as part of Dementia Awareness Week, the fun-filled afternoon of music and food also marked the official opening of the recently refurbished facilities. More than £190,000 has been spent on developing a dementiafriendly environment for residents and the improvements include a standardised colour scheme, signage to make it easier for residents to find their way around, new easy to use toilet and washing facilities, and residents can also enjoy a 1950s style makeover in the on-site hairdressers. Helena Pountney, bpha’s Retirement Services and Extra Care Agreements Manager is thrilled with the improvements for those living at the scheme. She said: “We’ve created a dementia-friendly environment within the scheme which provides all of our residents with an environment that makes their daily lives easier.”
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Changes to our arrangements – you think As an organisation we are focused on ensuring that we give the best possible service to our customers. With that in mind, we undertook a governance review and as a result are proposing some changes to our governance arrangements and our Board. This article explains our proposals and seeks your views and comments on what we would like to do.
properly engaged, and we want to ensure that this is retained and developed. This means that the functions of the Operations Board would be covered by the main Board and the Service Improvement Panel. We believe these changes would give residents a stronger and more direct link into how we manage and govern our organisation.
At the moment, bpha is operating through its Board, Operations Board and Service Improvement Panel. Our Board includes a board member nominated by Bedfordshire Borough Council as well as other individuals selected for their particular skills. Our Operations Board has two resident members and the Service Improvement Panel is made up predominantly of bpha residents.
To streamline our approach and simplify decision making we also propose to move to a single status Board over the next two years. This means a move to one system for recruitment of our board members so that all of our Board would be recruited for their skills, knowledge and experience, and not simply because they belong to any specific representative body. All board members would be recruited in accordance with an agreed Board recruitment policy which would be aimed at ensuring that the people selected to sit on the board have the right range of skills needed by the organisation to deliver its goals. This change would not impact directly on residents because for a number of years now their involvement has been on the Operations Board and Service Improvement
A key area of focus for bpha is putting customers at the heart of what we do. In governance terms, we believe that we can best achieve this by streamlining our arrangements through the Service Improvement Panel. The Service Improvement Panel has been a really effective way of ensuring that our residents have been
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Governance – tell us what Panel rather than the bpha Board. We will also be talking to Bedford Borough Council about these particular proposals.
proposals. If you have any comments or questions please get in touch with Liz Hall on 0330 100 0272
Why we are proposing these changes? In the past few years, bpha has experienced a changing and challenging economic, social and regulatory environment. It is vital that we have robust governance structures in place to make sure that we are successful in the future and are able to demonstrate robust control, forward thinking and effective risk management. It is important that bpha’s Board and governance arrangements allow us to be fully equipped with the right skills, knowledge and experience to meet these demands, and that the Board and our committees and panels are able to adapt as necessary from time to time.
If you let us have any comments or queries by 3rd November then all of your feedback will be considered by the bpha Board before any final decision regarding the proposals is made.
None of these proposals impact on your rights as tenants under your tenancy agreement or the services that we deliver to you but they will enable us to operate more efficiently and effectively. We’d like to hear your views on these
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Help us to help you! Our recent customer satisfaction survey ‘STAR’ (Survey of Tenants and Residents) told us that the majority of our residents are satisfied with the overall service provided by us: • 85% of residents in Retirement Schemes • 77% of customers in socially rented homes • 63% of shared owners This is a good result…but we want it to be better! We want to keep an eye on how we are doing and where we can improve our services.
So, how can we do this? To make sure we are moving in the right direction, we carry out quarterly telephone surveys with a sample of residents to measure satisfaction levels. Our research is completely independent and is run by Acuity Ltd, who follows the Market Research Society’s Code of Conduct. If you receive a call, please take part. If you have any concerns or want to check that the caller is genuine please call 0800 449 8014, or speak directly to Amy Jdali at bpha on 01234 791090.
A little thank you… If you take part in the survey, you will be entered into a quarterly prize draw to win £50 worth of High Street vouchers.
Christmas opening 2014 Date
Customer Contact Centre
Reception
24th Dec (Wed)
8:00-15:00
9:00-15:00
25th Dec (Thurs)
Closed
Closed
26th Dec (Fri)
Closed
Closed
27th Dec (Sat)
9:00-13:00
Closed
28th Dec (Sun)
Closed
Closed
29th Dec (Mon)
8:00-16:00
9:00-16:00
30th Dec Tues)
8:00-16:00
9:00-16:00
31st Dec (Wed)
8:00-16:00
9:00-16:00
1st Jan (Thurs)
Closed
Closed
Normal 08:00 – 18:00
Normal 09:00 – 16:30
2nd Jan (Fri)
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Green skills in Bedford Monday 8 September marked an important day for a group of 18-25 year old residents in Bedford. It wasn’t A-level results or the start of college, but the launch of our new Green Skills construction programme. In partnership with Groundwork Luton & Bedfordshire and the Jobcentre Plus Bedford we’re helping a group of 12 job-seekers kick-start their careers in construction and landscaping. In just six short weeks the group will transform the gardens of Goldington Day Centre - check out the pictures below. Combining their practical skills with 40 hours of City and Guilds guided learning, they will sit a theory test to ultimately achieve their final goal of a CSCS (Construction Skills Certificate Scheme) card; a “must-have” for anyone wanting to work in the construction industry. This is the first initiative of its kind for us, and we hope to look at further funding for similar opportunities in the future. Keep your eye out for more updates in talk! In the meantime, if you’d like help finding employment, you can email Karen or Peter in our Employment Support team at employmentsupport@bpha.org.uk
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Communications survey We’re working hard to improve the way we communicate with you and that includes listening more carefully. That’s why in this issue you will find a short survey asking for your views on the revamped magazine and the different ways we can keep you informed about important news. Please take part and give us your views. The more responses we receive, the better idea we will have of what you think and what you would like in the future. The survey has a FREEPOST address on the back so you just need to complete it, seal it and post it. It couldn’t be easier! We will enter all responses into a prize draw of £150 worth of High Street voucher so be quick and return it to us by Friday 24th October 2014.
Thank-you. Talk to us: Tel: 0330 100 0272 Fax: 01234 221229 info@bpha.org.uk www.bpha.org.uk www.facebook.com/bpha.uk follow us on twitter @tweet_bpha